Do you eat only when you’re actually hungry? Many of us eat even when our bodies don’t need food. Just the thought of food entices us to eat. We think about food when we see other people eating, when we…
Every 67 seconds someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and new estimates suggest that it may be the third leading cause of death of older people. Alzheimer’s disease is associated…
In some ways the human brain is like a well-oiled car engine, purring along without being noticed, until something goes awry. Neuro-imaging techniques such as electroencephalogram (EEG) or fMRI – which…
South Asians are one of the largest, and fastest-growing, minority groups in Westernised countries. And while many people with this background may have lived in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and other…
These days, you have to try hard to not come across a daily article or news piece about dementia, and care homes receive a great deal of negative press. The Care Quality Commission recently released a…
As the number of elderly people increases, so do concerns about cognitive impairment and dementia. Minor difficulties with memory and thinking can be a normal part of the ageing process, but our recent…
Dementia and cognitive decline have a huge impact on the overall health and activity of the ageing population and come with a substantial social and economic cost for society. But for those who have dementia…
Anthony Hannan, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
I don’t want to sound too cynical, but recent research findings in dementia seem hard to believe. A study of over 1,000 people has found people who scored higher on a measure of cynicism during late life…
Over the last half century, the global food industry has profoundly changed the way we eat. While we understand how these dietary changes have impacted physical health, their effect on mental well-being…
Recent figures suggest there are around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. People usually associate the condition with later life, but around 17,000 of people with the condition are under the age…
The Longitude Prize is a challenge that offers £10m in prize money to help solve one of the greatest issues of our time. The public chooses the cause through a public vote and if a project then goes onto…
Lauren Bartley, Neuroscience Research Australia and Yue Huang, Neuroscience Research Australia
Alzheimer’s disease causes progressive damage to the brain, resulting in problems with memory, cognition, social engagement, and, ultimately, a person’s ability to care for themselves. Alzheimer’s is the…
US scientists recently announced they had developed a blood test that could predict your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease, with 90% accuracy, up to three years in advance of other known symptoms…
Britons have been warned that they must save six times more for their pension or face poverty. The message is that it’s time to embrace deferred gratification and start saving. The average pension pot…
In 1980 we set up a large long-term study of 2,500 men in Caerphilly, South Wales, to monitor their health habits and work out what five forms of healthy behaviour were integral to a disease-free life…
Late-stage dementia is characterised by increasing agitation that can be distressing for the person with the illness and their carers. So, researchers are investigating whether robots disguised as animals…